


Off-Screen

by Asukachan07



Series: Romanogers series [3]
Category: Black Widow (MCU), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: At least most of the chapters are, Black Widow movie countdown, Canon Compliant, F/M, Missing Scenes, romanogers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2020-11-01 12:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20814917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asukachan07/pseuds/Asukachan07
Summary: Forever in love with this ship and still mad at MCU for not making them an official power couple.





	1. Parachute

**Author's Note:**

> Here are some off-screen moments that I believe happened between Steve and Natasha throughout the MCU years.
> 
> I can't wait for the Black Widow movie(s?) to wash off the bitterness of Endgame. If Steve gets a cameo I only need one line between him and Nat. Even one word will do.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre-CA:TWS

Steve had operated with parachutes during the war. He'd used them twice, both times successfully.

Yes, these newer models were a bit different from the ones used back in 1945, but the principles were the same, and honestly? They were easier to buckle on and off.

Back then, however, Steve didn't have the pressure of being watched by the best S.H.I.E.L.D Agent, also known as the best spy in the world, Natasha Romanoff. A woman who intimidated him more than even Peggy had, something he'd thought impossible before the ice.

So while Steve intellectually knew where all the pieces were supposed to go, for the life of him he couldn't coordinate his huge fingers to strap the harness in the proper configuration. Or, when he did manage to buckle everything up, he would accidentally pull on the handle for the reserve parachute, or not fit the parachute bag snug enough to his back—which was impossible to do with the shield.

Three quarters of an hour and seven trials later, Agent Romanoff finally showed signs of what Steve imagined was disappointment: she crossed her arms while looking him up and down, and frowned slightly for the longest ten seconds of Rogers' brand new career as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent.

"Do you even need one?" The redhead spoke for the first time since doing her first demo.

"Ma'am?" Steve asked her, confused.

"Romanoff is fine, Captain," the spy corrected him evenly.

Steve wished he had his new helmet on—he really liked his stealth suit, it was much more comfortable and less patriotic than the one he'd donned for the Battle of New York—because it would've hidden his blush.

"Right, Romanoff...I mean—Agent Romanoff!" He tried again, lamely.

What was it about tiny women of power that made him snap his cap?

Steve was truly grateful for the spy's professionalism. Getting embarrassed in front of her alone was ten times better than doing it in front of the whole STRIKE team. Rumlow and his men had high expectations of the "World War II hero," which Steve still thought himself a fraud for earning that title.  
The super soldier took a centering breath, then spoke again.

"What don't I need, Agent Romanoff?" He asked, and he swore he detected a glint of pride in her piercing green eyes at hearing him construct a proper sentence without stuttering.

"A parachute, Cap," she replied smoothly. "I don't see why you would need one in the first place."

Steve could only blink at her, he was too speechless about the suggestion.

"I cannot fly," he thought useful to remind her.

"No, but you can land without problems from impressive height," she pointed out. "I've seen you train with Rollins. Remind me to program you a few simulations for catastrophic landings, by the way. In this line of work we jump out of windows without parachute more often than not."

"Will do," Steve promised with a nod, but still felt unsure about her implied statement.

"You're saying that I should learn to skydive without parachutes?" He asked for clarification.

"It's an idea," the redhead confirmed with a shrug before she waved a hand at him.

"This suit is waterproof, frictionless and heat-resistant. You can land from great heights without breaking a bone. Without a parachute, you could land and be active on site thirty to ninety seconds before the rest of the team, which would allow for a preliminary recon report and help the rest of us adjust our landing in case of unforeseen obstacles."

Had she thought of that in the ten seconds she'd stared at him? Wow.

"And really, I don't see how the shield is going to fit," she admitted with a slight tilt of her head, "unless you strap it to your chest or keep it on your arm as you dive. While that's acceptable for a catastrophic landing, I would highly advise against it for planned deployment. However amazing the aerodynamics of this disc is, they will compromise your range of motion in a free fall."

"I see," the soldier acknowledged mildly, still in awe at his new partner's quick mind.

"So, what do you think?" Romanoff asked him with a hint of a smile. "Would you like to waste more time working out how to safely pack and deploy a parachute, or would you rather learn how to throw knives with an accuracy deserving of your eye to hand coordination?"

Steve stared down at the bag and hanging straps he had prepared to try on, for the eighth time.

Fury might not approve of the break in protocol, but what the hell.

"I've seen your aim, Agent Romanoff, and I doubt that I could do better," Steve flattered her without meaning.

"You _will_ do better," the woman assured him with a smirk as she waved for him to just drop the parachute pack when he attempted to put it back on its shelf.

"Just don't let Clint see you when you do."

That made Steve chuckle in mirth rather than nervousness for the first time that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why would a boy scout like Steve Rogers deliberately not use a parachute? 
> 
> Also, Steve and Nat weren't close enough at the time to exchange those playful smiles right before he jumped off the quinjet. There was an inside joke somewhere.


	2. Shield (Pre-AoU)

"Considering the number of times you've used it to help me," Natasha said as she eyed the shield while Steve familiarized himself with its new magnetic feature, "I should learn how to use it myself. You know, in case you're busy kicking someone's ass on the side."

Steve snorted, but opened his hand to release the shield from his left arm and caught it with his right one, balancing it on the tips of his fingers as he raised an eyebrow at his former S.H.I.E.L.D partner.

"It's a lot lighter than it looks," he let her know as he noticed a tiny hint of bracing about her shoulders and knees.

She acknowledged the info with a tiny nod before readjusting her stance, and only then did the soldier throw his signature weapon to his teammate.

The former spy caught it just like he would have, right after it reached the top of its path in the air but before it went down its less predictable descent—Stark had called it a generalized hyperbolic secant line? Steve didn't pretend to understand what he meant by that—with her left hand before strapping it to her right arm.

"Oh," she let out quietly as she gracefully shifted her feet to redistribute her weight.

Steve had missed seeing Natasha move. For the past year it had been just him and Sam against some Hydra goons, and the two of them were nowhere as beautifully efficient as the Black Widow in combat.

"Looks good on you," the soldier blurted out stupidly.

Natasha's widened eyes snapped up to his panicked ones, but he could tell from the absence of crinkle around her eyes that she was genuinely surprised by the comment, not suspicious of it.

"Well, in case you decide to finally retire, senior citizen," the redhead joked, "rest assured that your legacy is in good hands. Literally."

Steve laughed as she posed, straightening to her full height and bending her right arm over her chest to display the shield, just like the latest Captain America figurine that Tony had showed them earlier this morning.

"What is this, a S.H.I.E.L.D agent class reunion party?" Tony in question asked from the floor above, still in his civilian clothes.

"I wasn't invited," Clint jumped in—literally, he flipped over the railing and landed between Steve and Natasha.

"Well, if you'd picked up your phone when I was asking for backup when Hydra reared its ugly heads…" Romanoff reminded him as she deftly straightened her right arm out of the straps, letting the shield slide off then using her right thumb to hold it against her palm before using the other fingers to direct its trajectory. 

Which happened to be the railing right by Tony's half suited body.

"Hey, watch out!" The billionaire warned as his helmet clicked in place, the last word said in his Iron Man voice.

"You shouldn't let Russian Roulette here play with the literal symbol of freedom, Rogers," the red and gold armored man chided as Natasha hopped off the floor to intercept the shield midair. 

"The only other Avenger who has the right to wield that shield is Wilson, though he's only an honorary member at the moment," Stark insisted. "He's a war hero just like you, good role model for the future generations and whatnot."

"I thought you were going to nominate yourself," Bruce said from his corner of the open floor. "I didn't know that Sam had signed up to join the team, Cap!"

"I think he's suited for the job," Steve assured as he shuffled a few steps just as Natasha accidentally dropped the shield, catching it as it bounced off the floor.

"Oops," the redhead said apologetically before planting her fist on her hips and glaring at Stark. "Wilson's an airman, and the shield belongs on the ground, where the real action is.

"You wouldn't say that in Thor's face," Iron Man challenged Black Widow, who simply scoffed.

"Thor is like me, he can multitask," she claimed with a swoop of her head.

Steve admired the bounce of her red curls before he could catch himself.

Fortunately, no one had noticed him, not even Clint.

Steve did notice Bruce eyeing Natasha just as longingly as him.

When he'd entered the room, the super soldier had overheard Natasha talking to the physicist about using some of the KGB brainwashing techniques to control the Hulk.

So maybe this desire to practice using the shield with him was nothing special. Natasha wasn't a S.H.I.E.L.D agent anymore, but she still applied her spy philosophy to adapt to all situations. In case the Hulk went out of control or Steve couldn't access his shield, she would be there to intervene.

It was true that Steve had often thought of passing his shield to Sam if something were to happen to him—most likely because of Bucky—but the soldier couldn't dismiss the fluidity with which he and Natasha worked via the vibranium disk.

He couldn't pretend that Romanoff didn't fit perfectly against him under the shield either.

Had she noticed, too?


	3. Boat Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The escape from the Raft.

“How did you even find this place?” Natasha heard Lang ask Steve as they rounded the corner she had just cleared. “Isn’t it supposed to be completely off the grid or whatever?”

“_ That’s _ how,” Sam explained concisely, thrusting a thumb in her direction as he jogged past her.

Natasha tuned out the Ant-Man’s reaction when her eyes fell on Wanda. The youngest Avenger looked _ haunted_.

What had they done to her?

The former spy immediately put a lid on the emotions bubbling out of her chest and focused on her improvised plan of getting everyone out without alerting the main security of the underwater prison too soon.

Once they made it to the small boat Nat had ‘borrowed’ from one of the New S.H.I.E.L.D.’s coast teams, it was just a question of using multiple scramblers when they were in range of a coastline radar tracking station.

Unsurprisingly, Steve offered to replace her at the wheel after two hours of uninterrupted sail.

“I’m fine, thanks,” she let him know without looking his way.

She still felt too stupid for choosing to sign the Accords to look at him for too long. She should’ve known to follow her _ instinct _ to support Steve.

But that would’ve been a decision based on her emotions, not on _ logic _. Logic demanded that the team tread carefully after Sokovia and Lagos, and that’s what Natasha had opted for.

A lot of good that had done.

“When was the last time you slept?” Steve asked her softly, trying hard not to sound condescending, or maybe trying hard not to sound doubtful of her ability to see this rescue mission through.

She couldn’t read him so well lately. The moment Barnes had come into the picture, Steve Rogers had transformed from the very predictable soldier she’d had the honor to work with under S.H.I.E.L.D. and as an Avengers to a complete _ wild card _.

“When was the last time _ you _ did?” she asked back as she chanced a glance in his direction.

Even with his superserum, he was showing signs of fatigue.

He had to drag his best friend from that KGB compound in Siberia to an abandoned H.Y.D.R.A. facility so he could contact her through Phil, then had to stand watch for the twelve hours it took Natasha to secure a flight under one of her new aliases without getting flagged by Ross or Tony.

Even Thor—wherever their pseudo-godly royal teammate was these days—would be exhausted from all of that after a serious fight against Iron Man.

“Touché,” the shieldless Cap replied as he leaned against the side of the boat right next to her, his gaze looking out the dark horizon.

“I’m sorry,” he said after minutes of silence the former KGB assassin wouldn’t have called companionable, but they hadn’t been the awkward speechless moments they used to have back in their first S.H.I.E.L.D. days when Natasha had to keep coming with new topics of conversation to make the man out of time feel comfortable.

“Whatever for, Rogers?” she asked before activating a scrambler and fully turning her head his way.

She blinked at the earnest look he was giving her now.

“You warned me that the situation would get messy, and still I didn’t change my plan of action,” he explained after a short sigh.

“You actually had a plan?” Natasha inquired, lifting one eyebrow to convey that she was genuinely curious and not being sarcastic.

“Not really,” Steve admitted with a shrug. “Not beyond making sure that the other soldiers were neutralized. I just wanted to keep Buck out of trouble…But by doing that I got _ everyone else _ in trouble. It was selfish of me.”

“It was _human_ of you,” she corrected him. “Just because you have that serum running through your veins doesn’t mean that you should be judged harsher than the rest of us for making common mistakes.”

“_You_ wouldn’t have made those mistakes,” he argued almost petulantly, and took an audible breath to calm down before adapting a neutral expression.

She had taught him that. Steve Rogers hadn’t known how to make a poker face until weeks after Nick Fury had paired the war veteran with his best agent.

“Your decision to sign the Accords surprised me at first,” Cap resumed, speaking too evenly, but she didn’t want to analyze that right now while they were sailing under the radar across the Indian ocean. 

“But after Peggy’s funeral,” he continued more naturally, “I understood _ why _ you did it. I was just too consumed by grief, then by my desire to keep Bucky safe, that I forgot to stop and reevaluate the situation with the new insight you provided me. I failed at the most tactical fundamentals—”

“Stop doing that, Steve,” Natasha pleaded, taking her left hand off the wheel to place it on his right forearm—she hadn’t realized that she was cold until she felt his abnormal warmth radiating through his shirt—as she fixed him with a determined gaze.

“Don’t take it all on yourself,” she advised him, not for the first time. “You didn’t single-handedly cause this mess. We _ all _ did. That’s what I wanted you, that’s what I still want you to get from what I told you in that church. Whatever we do, doing it _ together _ is the only way to do it _ right. _”

“Tony isn’t going to forgive me so soon,” the soldier accurately speculated. “But I’m glad that you’re here with me—with _ us _. I wouldn’t have been able to break into the Raft on my own and get the others out so discreetly. Thank you, Nat.”

He uttered her name just as he placed his left hand on top of hers, then interlaced their fingers.

Without her training, Natasha would have blushed at this gesture, which could only be classified as _ intimate_.

Yes, she and Steve had gotten closer over the years, especially when he had wordlessly asked her to co-lead the team with him after Ultron. They knocked each other’s shoulders, patted each other’s arms, high-fived, fist-bumped, and occasionally hugged…But they did not _ hold hands_. 

Again, not the time to consider what it meant for _ them _, because they were back to being partners, weren’t they?

“Well, I was already planning on getting Clint out because there’s no way I was going to be the one explaining this whole mess to Laura,” she deflected with a grin, letting their hold linger for a beat before she gently took her hand away to switch off the scrambler. “Tony, or rather Pepper, is working on a parole deal for Clint and Lang, by the way. Breaking them out won’t affect it, no worries.”

Steve snorted, his way of saying ‘of course you’re telling me now’.

Guess she could still read him, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated.
> 
> Can't promise regular updates, but I'll keep adding to this until May 1, 2020.
> 
> Also, I'm disappointed by the lack of a Black Widow movie fandom tag. What are other BW authors using instead?


End file.
